C'mon in!

How rude of me to have never welcomed you into my house! Forgive my manners! A couple of weeks ago, I gave our entry way a little love, and I hadn't gotten around to showing it off. 

This is what greets you when you come to my house:

I've had that mirror since long before I became a Pennsylvania resident. It's a cheap little thing from a big box store, but it worked in every apartment I've ever had--which is saying something. A little more recently, I picked up the basket-shelf-hook set. And what would an entryway be without a collection of funky hooks?

I figured this was a great spot for a little birdie. For those who are counting, this is the bird that topped my wedding cake. 

And back to the entryway...

Now I have a place to check my make up, and throw/grab a last minute brush or lip gloss. Those baskets look mighty clean in this photo, but in reality, they usually have at least enough goodies inside to stock a small Sephora. Don't judge me--it's really helpful on the way out the door!

Hanging the basket-shelf combo was actually fairly difficult. It didn't come with much hardware, and you can forget about the requisite wall anchors. I had to supply my own. I actually had to devise my own way of hanging it. Since I knew I wanted to take advantage of in-wall support, I had to attach new saw-tooth hardware. It wasn't too bad once I found the right size, but I'm used to being given the necessary equipment when I buy a shelf. This find--which came from Terrain, on the sale rack--was not equipped. 

That's OK though. It's so darn pretty, I can't be too upset. And useful doesn't begin to describe it. And you see those bottom hooks? That's the perfect spot for Sawyer's leash. Low enough to not be in your immediate line of sight, but high enough  that I don't have to bend over to grab it. Perfection!

Of course, there's more just beyond the hooks--like my kitchen, a cook book collection, and my recycling. But we'll get there one of these days...